ABB Electrification’s business is extending its service capabilities for electrical vehicle charging systems, solar, low- and medium-voltage electrical systems with a dedicated service workshop located at Coleshill, Birmingham.
The new facility will enable ABB to provide a faster and more efficient turnaround on maintenance, investigation and repair of electrical vehicle charging stations, solar inverters, low- and medium-voltage circuit breakers, low-voltage panels and other electrical apparatus, including uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems and emergency lighting.
In turn, this will help operators of electrical power distribution systems in utilities, infrastructure, transport and industry to minimise the risk of unplanned outages by ensuring critical assets are returned to service as quickly as possible.
Stephen Gibbs, service manager for ABB’s Electrification Business in the UK, said, “By opening a centralised, dedicated service centre in Coleshill, ABB is able to give a better response to customers and provide a more efficient turnaround on repairs and maintenance of critical electrical assets. Our facility has an extensive workshop, space to stock spare parts and an office-based support team to deliver excellent customer service for ABB and third-party installed base electrical equipment.”
As a dedicated service facility, the Coleshill workshop will have two bays to refurbish the full product portfolio, including a large open plan area for low voltage panel modification and testing.
As well as being the permanent working location for the service workshop repair technicians, a back office support team will provide project management, order handling, logistics and customer support to ensure the best possible customer service levels.
The service engineers are trained and certified to maintain, repair and refurbish equipment from ABB, GE and other Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). The facility has combined the services capabilities that were previously offered by several individual workshops. As a result of this centralised approach, customers have a single point of contact for their projects, a wider pool of resources and in-depth knowledge across multiple technologies.
ABB have also developed the site for the additional role of hosting customers for technical training and Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) programmes, which would have previously been carried out in ABB factories outside of the UK. This brings ABB closer to its customers and allows for improved flexibility during project execution.
Its location in Coleshill was selected for proximity to other ABB facilities nearby, including the UK distribution centre for low voltage products at Hams Hall, which will ensure smooth supply chain management for spare parts and consumables. In addition, it has excellent transport links, being close to Birmingham Airport, as well as the main motorway and rail links.